Sold Out Read Free

usually apologizes later.” Suddenly Allie grew thoughtful. “One time she told me that she does that whole judgmental thing out of habit.”
    “Seems like a bad habit.”
    “Well, you know how her church can be sometimes. I’ve only visited twice, but the way that preacher can go on and on kind of gives me the heebie-jeebies. It’s like they’re all worriedabout everyone blowing it, especially kids. The preacher is constantly warning everyone not to do this or that, not to make mistakes or get into trouble. It’s pretty negative if you ask me.”
    “Yeah, I know. The only time I ever went there I felt sort of guilty for not going up to the altar when we were all supposed to ‘repent.’ But it just didn’t feel right to me at the time. I felt like I was being manipulated. Because I honestly felt as if everything was pretty much okay between God and me that particular day. And I really didn’t feel like God was asking me to go down there. The truth is, as stupid as I felt sitting in the pew all by myself and probably looking like some unrepentant sinner, I’d have felt like a hypocrite to have gone forward.”
    Allie pulled on her sweatshirt. “But Laura really gets drawn into all that stuff—and her parents and brother too. It’s as if she’s afraid to make one single mistake. Maybe it has something to do with what she told us about her older sister, the one who got messed up with crack.”
    “Maybe, but my brother Caleb has a drug problem too, and I don’t get all freaked about—”
    “But that’s different.”
    I shrugged. “I don’t see how.”
    “Well, you’re different. And I guess you see things differently than Laura.”
    “Yeah, and it’s okay to be different. I’m surenot saying we all need to think alike. If Laura’s happy with what she believes, I’m fine. But when she starts laying her stuff on me…” I just shook my head.
    “Remember when she told us how she needs to make these big statements against sin—you know, how she went on and on about it? Well, I think it’s like she’s worried that if she doesn’t draw these lines real dark and thick, she’ll come totally unglued or something. It’s like she’s scared she’s going to blow it really bad someday, just totally mess up her life, you know? Like if she doesn’t maintain these really strict boundaries, she’ll go out there and do something totally stupid and then go to hell.”
    I laughed. Mat that it was really funny, but the way Allie said it was sort of humorous. “Yeah, I know what you mean, but I’ve talked to her about all this stuff before, and it seems as if she understands where I’m coming from. I’ve told her that I believe God wants me to reach out to everyone—no matter who they are or what they’re doing. And Laura even acts as if she wants to change-wants to reach out to the down-and-outers. Then I get my hopes up, like maybe she’ll step out of her little comfort zone.”
    “And hang with guys like Spencer and Jake and Cesar?”
    “Yeah, and Marissa too.” I glanced at my watch.“Oh yeah, that reminds me—Marissa’s kind of lonely, and I said maybe we could do something with her this weekend.”
    Allie shrugged. “Like what?”
    “Good question.” I looked at the rain pelting against the window. “I was thinking a bike ride, but it’s pretty wet out there right now.”
    “Wanna go to the mall? My mom finally paid me for babysitting Davie. Man, I about fainted when she forked it over. But, hey, I didn’t refuse it either.”
    So we called up Marissa and agreed to meet at the mall then caught the bus over there. And, looking back, despite my little spiel about Laura getting out of her comfort zone, I am so glad that she wasn’t around to come with us today. If she had, I’m sure she would’ve said, “I told you so.” And suddenly, I’m wondering if Laura might not be more right on about these things than I realized. Or not. I’m still not sure, but I’m praying that God will